90 likes | 292 Views
Treatment of statistical discrepancies: the Dutch practice. Hans Wouters Statistics Netherlands. Contents. Background information and history Methods to reduce discrepancies Show or eliminate discrepancies? pros of eliminating pros of showing Conclusions and results.
E N D
Treatment of statistical discrepancies: the Dutch practice Hans Wouters Statistics Netherlands
Contents • Background information and history • Methods to reduce discrepancies • Show or eliminate discrepancies? • pros of eliminating • pros of showing • Conclusions and results
1. Background and history • Statistical discrepancies only visible in full system of transaction accounts: non-financial plus financial • Dutch history of sector accounts • Publication experimental annual financial accounts since 1986 • Publication fully integrated annual financial accounts since 1996 • Compilation of quarterly sector accounts since 2005 • Publication of quarterly sector accounts since 2008
2. Methods to reduce discrepancies • Simultaneous compilation of non-financial and financial accounts • Analyze discrepancies in early stage of compilation process • Use uncertainty margins of transactions • Tool to calculate correlation and covariance statistical discrepancy
3. Show or eliminate discrepancies? • Arguments to eliminate statistical discrepancies • In theory discrepancies can not occur • Prevents confusion with users • Vertical balancing improves quality • Prevents ‘loss of face’
3. Show or eliminate discrepancies? • Arguments to show statistical discrepancies • Better reflects status of sources • Encourages to improve source information • Transactions are not polluted • Promotes transparency
4. Conclusions and results • Conclusions • Policy on treatment statistical discrepancies since 1986 • Serious efforts are made to reduce statistical discrepancies • Remaining discrepancies are explicitly shown
Treatment of statistical discrepancies: the Dutch practice Hans Wouters Statistics Netherlands